Any question answered...

That's shit, sorry to hear it.

You happy to swap the panel out yourself?

Anybody know if any shops in London stock Phil sprockets?

Brick Lane Bikes.

My front door is completely stuck because of the rain, as the bottom of the front door (I discovered about a month ago) is unsealed. I'm due to get it repainted/treated within the next few weeks, but is there anything I can do in the meantime?

You did take the grub screw out first, didn't you? Unfortunately, even if you did, the grub screw distorts the threads in the centre bolt, so it fucks the soft female thread in the brake centre-arm as you take it out.

I did but it didn't make any difference.

What's the best cheap solution to this? Buy another brakeset and fit the front on the rear, and try and sell the 2 rears that I have?

I really should have just splashed out a couple of quid more and got the Tektro R359s from Ribble. Might try out Wiggle's returns policy

What's the best cheap solution to this?

Put everything back together as planned and use the brakes.
That threaded connection isn't highly stressed, it's only threaded to adjust the pivot clearance. Once it's all back together with the grub screw holding it, it won't matter that the threads are a bit chewed up.

I can't use the rear though, which is why I was taking it apart in the first place. I bought brakes with recessed bolts with the view to drilling the frame, but the rear brake bridge has some kind of metal sleeve that goes all the way through it and drilling through that is probably not a good idea.

I thought you were changing to a longer centre bolt to get over that problem

Ah right, you mean put everything back together with a longer centre bolt.

Another thing is that the centre bolt I have seems to be two different widths in different places - one for the lock ring type nut that holds the spring in place, and a slightly narrower one for the nut that goes behind the brake bridge.

Is this standard and will the replacement ones be the same? Where even are the replacement bolts, I couldn't find them on SJS.

It might be that it's only Shimano, Tektro (and I think Dia-Compe) brakes that allow this.

That's shit, sorry to hear it.
You happy to swap the panel out yourself?

Nah, I'm not gonna touch it. Will just call someone local tonight perhaps.

My front door is completely stuck because of the rain, as the bottom of the front door (I discovered about a month ago) is unsealed. I'm due to get it repainted/treated within the next few weeks, but is there anything I can do in the meantime?

Use another door.
Take the door off and run a wood plane over it?
How puffy is it? Dry it out with something and paint it?

Nah, I'm not gonna touch it. Will just call someone local tonight perhaps.

This is the best idea while it may be cheaper to do it yourself initially if you smash another panel during installation you loose any saving you initially made, if a fitter does this it won't cost you anything and their work will also come with some form of a guarantee.

This and I don't have any tools, don't have any glass and I'm lazy (read: spend my time doing other things).

I need to learn about VAT quickly.

Does anyone have a good source that I can use? Something like an idiots guide to VAT, starting at the beigingiong but going into more detail later?

Free, online and easily accessible would be best. A book that I could buy second hand would be good in addition.

thanks,

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/vat/start/introduction.htm is your best starting place. If you register for proper site access, there are useful webinars most weeks

My front door is completely stuck because of the rain, as the bottom of the front door (I discovered about a month ago) is unsealed. I'm due to get it repainted/treated within the next few weeks, but is there anything I can do in the meantime?

Depends how stuck it is...

A simple sandpaper on a block, to the underside of the door may help, without taking the door off ...

If (only if) the door step can be sanded refinished, that is also another way to 'ease' the door. However that is not ideal.

In a perfect world door off, and powerplane a bit off the bottom. then paint-seal with 2-3 coats would be perfect as well as additional weatherstripping.

Also check the grading of ground outside if the level of the door is close to the ground.

WTF is a 'husting'?

This is surely not common parlance?

Yeah but I'd rather blame someone else than accept I may have ruined my own cranks through incompetence.

I did exactly the same with some Miche cranks.
Frankly I think I overtightened the bolt.
After it worked itself loose once, it now happens all the time.
I had to suck it up and buy a replacement cheapo from KF: http://www.jejamescycles.co.uk/kf-left-hand-item41490.html

So I am riding a 100% anti GOLD crank arm on the right and a silver one on the left. Serves me right for buying gold in the first place - you live and learn.

I then did it a second time but this time with a goddam 172.5mm crank length.
It appears impossible to buy LH replacements.
Gutted.

WTF is a 'husting'?

This is surely not common parlance?

It's usually 'a hustings' in the UK. And yes, it is 'common parlance'. :)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Husting

Anybody know if any shops in London stock Phil sprockets?

Brick Lane Bikes.

Cheers for the info - an eye watering £57 though! Have purchased online instead.

Another thing is that the centre bolt I have seems to be two different widths in different places - one for the lock ring type nut that holds the spring in place, and a slightly narrower one for the nut that goes behind the brake bridge.

Is this standard and will the replacement ones be the same? Where even are the replacement bolts, I couldn't find them on SJS.

Standard size is M7 for the caliper and lock nut and M6 for the retaining nut. I'm assuming your "Miche" brakes are actually made by Tektro anyway, they look like the kind of thing Tektro would come up with if asked for a set of brakes for another manufacturer.

Could I do better than this pair of £230 Ultegra wheels for the same sort of cash?

http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/sp/road-track-bike/Wheels-Factory-Road-Triathlon-Shimano-Ultegra-6700-Grey-Clincher-Wheels-Pair/SHIMWHFR617

Anyone? Please?

You could buy RS20s for £120 and save the rest of the cash for something else.

A NDS DT Swiss spoke in a dished wheel built using a tensiometer with DT Swiss Prolock brass nips that has been rock solid until today snaps inside the nipple.

WTF causes a spoke to fail there when properly tensioned and locked in place with Loctite? Too short? Crappy spoke?